Kalki

Story: After SI Vyshakhan commits suicide at the police station following his failure to take control of the law and order situation, Inspector K takes charge at Nanjankode. Will he succeed in quelling the fire?

Review: Kalki as per Hindu mythology is the final avatar of Lord Vishnu. He is known as a mighty warrior who will appear at the end of the Kali Yuga to destroy oppression and usher in a new yuga or era.

SI Vyshakan of Nanjankode commits suicide in the lock up after failing to control the law and order situation there. Nanjankode village has a terrible history. The people of the village were evacuated by the Dravida Yojana Party (DYP) led by Amarnath, played by Shivajith Padmanabhan. He has nurtured rowdies all over and people live in fear. The village is overrun by crime, weapons and violence. The police station is, according to the cops, the only peaceful spot there as nothing can be done by them.

The thrills begin when Inspector K (Tovino Thomas), the Kalki avatar of Nanjankode, walks in as a superhuman and brings alive the police station. Like Kalki, he is at war with the villains and is on a mission to cleanse the village.

The movie is Tovino through and through. He just grabs the audience with his rugged look, moustache, charm and aura. As he fills the screen, we see supporting actors such as Sudheesh, Saiju Kurup, Samyuktha Menon, Hareesh Uthaman and Jospeh Alia joining in to enhance his heroism. The intelligently drafted script has a strong villain in Amarnath of the DYP, who is perfectly placed to make Inspector K stronger.

Cinematographer Gautham Sanker uses a lot of low angles to bring a larger than life image to both the hero and the villain. Jakes Bejoy’s thumping background score enhances it. The action choreography and the crisp editing deserve mention. Debutant Praveen Prabharam has proved his mettle by merging the elements of filmmaking well.

Tovino, who in his seven-year career has moved with ease from playing a romantic hero to a student leader, now attempts to climb the ladder of superstardom through his Kalki avatar. He gives us a mass entertainer by performing gravity defying stunts, delivering mass dialogues, and cleansing the society off baddies. It is the same formula as his predecessors in Malayalam, but with a lot more blood.

However, the film reminds one of the old mass films of Rajanikanth where evacuation is a central plot and also Suriya’s Inspector Durai Singam from Singam movie.

There are many blanks to be filled in the film from what happens to Samyuktha Menon’s character, the Doctor with political ambitions who was initially portrayed as a strong and powerful woman and how does K remain fine in spite of receiving several stabs.

If you love to enjoy an adrenaline rush, Tovino’s looks and action sequences with blood, Kalki is for you.